{"id":44464,"date":"2017-04-08T14:58:38","date_gmt":"2017-04-08T18:58:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/?p=44464"},"modified":"2017-04-08T15:12:03","modified_gmt":"2017-04-08T19:12:03","slug":"scrutiny-jon-kimura-parker-melts-the-spring-snow-a-bravo-niagara","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2017\/04\/08\/scrutiny-jon-kimura-parker-melts-the-spring-snow-a-bravo-niagara\/","title":{"rendered":"SCRUTINY | Jon Kimura Parker Melts The Spring Snow At Bravo Niagara!"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Jon
Jon Kimura Parker performs at Bravo Niagara!, 2017. (Photo: Michael Vincent)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Jon Kimura Parker at St. Mark\u2019s Anglican Church, Niagara-on-the-Lake. Friday, April 8.<\/h3>\n

Friday was the day that everyone seems to forget happens every year in this part of the world: the obligatory, but nonetheless horrifying April snowfall. The other was a Springtime appearance by Canadian pianist Jon Kimura Parker<\/a>. But the two forces of nature happening on the same day proved to be a fateful coincidence.<\/p>\n

Let me explain. Much like that first spring flower bravely peeking up from below the barren soil, Jackie Parker was there to deliver warmth on a day when we needed it the most.<\/p>\n

The program was divided into two parts: The first was devoted to Rachmaninoff and Beethoven; two composers who were also great pianists. The second was a collection of curious favourites by Parker, including works by Alexina Louie, Ravel, and two especially odd Hollywood inspired works by Parker\u2019s friend and colleague William Hirtz.<\/p>\n

Before we drive too far down the road, let’s talk about the perils of opening a concert with the Rach. Even if they are just Preludes, it is ill-advised for many reasons \u2014 the most important being that it requires a warming up, not only of the pianist but the listener as well. But in Parker’s hands the three Preludes, particularly the B-flat, made a stunning example of the Russian style, and a convincing argument that Parker can get away with breaking this rule anytime he likes.<\/p>\n

All this cleared the way for the “Appassionata”: a rich red meat dish that resulted in one audience member fainting in the back. Beethoven can be dangerous for the unprepared listener, and I think everyone felt like we had swallowed something slightly dangerous. Like much of his playing, Parker has panache backed by a perspective informed by an astute understanding of the psychological subtext of Beethoven\u2019s masterwork. It was the highlight of the evening.<\/p>\n

\"Jon
Jon Kimura Parker performs at Bravo Niagara!, 2017. (Photo: Michael Vincent)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

All these left appetites in position for an intermission wine tasting (this is<\/em> Niagara-on-the-Lake after all). It did a clever job of loosening the audience up for the oddities that followed. But in between was Parker\u2019s famous banter \u2014\u00a0which is the best in the business.<\/p>\n

Parker explained that he had just purchased a Fit Bit, <\/em>a special device that allows the tracking of the number of steps he takes throughout the day. He decided to wear it during the concert as an experiment. The result clocked in at 9300 steps \u2013\u00a0or about 500 calories\u00a0after the marathon Rach.<\/p>\n

The calories continued to burn with Louie\u2019s Scenes from a Jade Tree<\/em>, which Parker played with a musical curiosity that felt infectious.<\/p>\n

Parker\u2019s take on Ravel\u2019s \u201cJeux d\u2019eau\u201d, was technically impressive\u00a0but craved more rubato (tempo variation) and further pedaling to encourage the blending of colours\u00a0in the arpeggiated harmony.<\/p>\n

Next were two oddball works by William Hirtz that paid homage to classic Hollywood film music. The first, titled “Bernard Herrmann Fantasy”, \u00a0was a confluence\u00a0of technicolor themes from North by Northwest and Psycho, all strung together as a kind of movie theatre popcorn garland. It was an interesting effect that gave the impression of watching a movie trailer on fast forward. The “Wizard of Oz Fantasy” was even more delightful. It clicked its ruby shoes together, bringing the audience straight into to the land of Oz.<\/p>\n

I should mention the acoustics of St Mark\u2019s were a real surprise. Churches are known for their excessive reverb that can either flatter or hinder a performance. Here, a handsome Yamaha CFX, was heard warm, close, and detailed. This venue would be an ideal location for a recording.<\/p>\n

It’s hard to think of a better ambassador for classical music than pianist Jon Kimura Parker, and this early spring visit was a welcome reminder.<\/p>\n

Parker will be performing next at Koerner Hall with his Montrose Trio on Friday, April 28<\/a>. Don’t miss it.<\/p>\n

For more REVIEWS, click HERE<\/u><\/a><\/span>.<\/h3>\n

#LUDWIGVAN<\/i><\/b><\/h3>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Much like that first spring flower bravely peeking up from below the barren soil, pianist Jackie Parker was there to deliver warmth on a day when we needed him the most.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":44466,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[6439,76,19,47,52],"tags":[6080,1774],"yst_prominent_words":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/04\/Jon-Kimura-Parker-2.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-bza","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44464"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44464"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44464\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44480,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44464\/revisions\/44480"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44464"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44464"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44464"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=44464"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}